“Women Of Wal-Mart” File Revised Discrimination Suit

Share this:

Lawyers for women employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced the filing of a revised discrimination lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco today on behalf of an estimated 95,000 women workers in California.

The amended lawsuit, filed by five women, seeks to be certified as a class action on behalf of current and former female employees who worked at the company’s more than 200 stores in California since 1998.

It claims that Wal-Mart systematically discriminated against women in pay and promotion.

The filing comes in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that blocked a proposed class action on behalf of 1.5 million workers nationwide.

If the nationwide class had been allowed, it would have been the largest in the nation’s history. But the Supreme Court said there was not sufficient evidence of an alleged company-wide discrimination policy to allow a nationwide class action.

The lawsuit was originally filed in federal court in San Francisco in 2001.

The lawyers claimed the revised lawsuit meets guidelines set down by the high court and also asserted they have new evidence of discrimination by regional managers in California.

“We’re back,” said attorney Brad Seligman.

“This case and the fight for justice for the women of Wal-Mart are not over. We are determined to see that California Wal-Mart women employees who have been waiting up to 11 years for justice finally get their day in court,” Seligman said.

Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., is the nation’s largest retail chain.